Flea Market Flipping: How industrious buying and re selling online is leading to new career choices and financial viability.
I hated my job.
Every day, I just wanted to be done with work. I felt stuck in my career, frozen in my salary range, and worst of all: I didn’t know how I could do my job for the rest of my life. The thought of working my current position until I retired sent every hair on end.
I was stressed. I was miserable. And then I found flea marketing flipping.
It might sound like a cheesy allergy-medication commercial, but it’s true. I’ve started doing what I love, and I’ll tell you the best part of all: sometimes I only work 10 hours a week. My salary fluctuates, but it’s enough (it’s even close to my old salary), and I love my work.
How is it possible? I’ll share my secret with you, plus the story of how I got started.
I was at a flea market one Saturday, enjoying the afternoon, when I spotted an antique quilt. The vendor was selling it for $40, but it was in incredible condition. The colors were bold, the material hadn’t thinned too much, and the pattern was complex. I bought it, and as I drove home, I thought, ‘I wonder if I can sell this on eBay?’
I listed the quilt for $200, and it sold. I was mesmerized. I went back to the flea market the next Saturday, almost giddy. What if I could do this full-time?
I was encouraged by stories, like this one, about flea market flippers who made $42,000 a year or more, with only a few hours of work each week. I wanted to know if I could do that. Did I have the eye for those kinds of products? Could I haggle?
Yes, I could. Yes, I did. And the rest is history.
I’ve been in business for two years now, and I couldn’t be happier. That’s the story of how I got started, but now I’ll share my secret: you have to know where to look. Flea markets are great, but you should also work with sources like Lowes liquidation for liquidations and retail returns. The longer you flip, the better your eye becomes, and the better the reputation of your online stores (I stick to eBay, Amazon, and Craigslist) becomes. Sometimes you make the wrong move, but generally you can tell if something will fetch a better price online. Your best shot is to expand your providers so you have a steady stream of options coming in.
Some final tips: I have a space at the back of my house where I store all my products until I ship them. Sometimes I nearly run out of space, but it all works out in the end. Make sure you have room for the products you’re flipping! You also have to remember that not every product will flip. Sometimes you have to take a loss or wait almost a year before something sells. Be ready for that, too.
If you’re interested in flea market flipping, head to one this weekend. You never know what you might find!
